Air conditioning apparatus



A ril 13, 1937.

' R. D. MATTESON ET AL AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1936 I 2 Sheets- Sheet l gvwwms Ja l qfz/ QMWSO/b, 77/7022? 5. Thomas,

April 1937. R. D. MATTESON ET AL 2,07

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 0,, Thoma 1.5,

J llul l I'l llll l h, m I I I r RM N W /J, 2 WW M L\\\ I I (lam/mg Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES AIR. CONDITIONING APPARATUS Ralph D. Matteson, Boise,

Par-ma, Idah and William B. Thomas,

Application July 22, 1936, Serial No. 92,028 I 4 Claims. ((1261-80) This invention relates to an improved air conditioning apparatus of the type disclosed in our co-pending application Ser. No. 50,438 filed November 18, 1935.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved air conditioning apparatus of the above type which will be most satisfactory and efiic'ient in operation.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the provision of an air conditioning apparatus of the above type, including a bottom Water pan, a horizontal open ended casing. mounted on said water pan and having an opening for the discharge of humidified air in the lower intermediate portion thereof, a motor-operated centrifugal fan blower arranged within said open ended casing and having side air inlets coaxial with the open ends of said casing and a tangential peripheral outlet coincident with the outlet or discharge opening of the open ended casing, and means for elevating water from the bottom water pan into the open ended casing in the path of air flowing in one end of said open ended casing to the adjacent side inlet of the fan blower.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning device of the above character wherein the impeller of the fan blower is rotated in a direction to throw the humidified air and water downwardly at and adjacent the blower outlet so as to minimize the discharge of excess moisture from the blower and the open ended casing, the casing of the fan blower being provided with bottom drain openings to permit the drainage of such excess moisture therefrom back into the bottom water pan. This involves rotation of the impeller of the fan blower in a direction reverse to the natural or normal rotation of such impeller in the ordinary use of fan blowers, and we have found that the same produces a marked increased efliciency in the operation of the apparatus without materially lessening the volume of air delivered by the blower. I I '1 1 A further object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus of the above character wherein the open ended casing is providedwith a discharge conduit for the hu-. midified air whicip extends from the discharge opening of said open ended casing partially around the latter nd gradually increases in width and decreases in depth toward its discharge end to provide for uniform volumetric capacity throughout its length and to cause the humidified air to be spread over a relatively wide area as it'is discharged from the discharge conduit into the room or ot her enclosure in which the apparatus is used.

With the above general objects in view, and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevational view of an air conditioning apparatus embodying the present in vention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view thereof. Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4'is a longitudinal section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring invention inc udes a shallow elongated water pan or receptacle 5 having a somewhat restricted top opening and provided along the sides and ends of this opening with a depending annular flange 6. Suitably mounted upon the bottom water pan 5 is a horizontal open ended casing 1 having a bottom longitudinal opening registered with the top opening of water pan 5 and preferably being of cylindrical form. This casing 1 is provided along the sides and ends of its bottom'opening with a flange 8 projecting downwardly and fitting into the annular flange 6 of the water pan 5, so that any excess moisture which finds its way onto the walls of casing I will ultimately drain back into the water pan 5 for re-use. The ends of the casing l are open for the intake of air to be humidified, and each end is provided with a; foraminous covering preferably consisting of I a removable screen 9 provided on its inner side with a layer of metal wool II for extracting dirt and foreign matter from the air as it enters the cas ing I.

Seated on the angular flange 6 of the water pan 5 is an elongated rectangular open frame l2, preferablyconstructed of angle iron. This frame forms a support upon which is secured the base I 4 of an electric motor l5 positioned near the axis of the casing 'l and near one end of the latter. The casing l is provided in its rear lowerportion with an opening it of rectangular and nearly square form, and outwardly through which the humidified air may be discharged from said casing I, as will presently become apparent. Extending upwardly and forwardly partially around the casing 1 from the outlet opening I6 is a discharge conduit H for the humidified air, which detail to the drawings, the present conduit l1 gradually increases in width and decreases in depth toward the upper forward discharge end thereof, so as to maintain a uniform volumetric capacity and at the same time cause the dischargeof humidified air from the outlet end thereof so that it will spread over a comp'aratively large area within theroom in which the apparatus is used.

Suitably supported and arranged within the openended casing 1 intermediate the ends of the latter is a centrifugal fan blower including the usual volute casing I I and rotary bladed impeller l8 whose shaft I9 is suitably coupled at to the armature shaft of motor I 5. The blower l5 casing I! has air intake openings 2| in the opposite sides thereof coaxial with the open ends of casing I, and is provided with a tangential peripheral air outlet 22 which registers with the air outlet opening ii of casing 1. As viewed in 2 Figure 3, the impeller I 8 is usually rotated in a clockwise direction. but in accordance with the present invention such impeller is reversely rotated or rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow a, for a purpose which 25 will presently be made apparent. The casing I! of the fan blower is further provided with .a plurality of drain openings 22' in the bottom portion thereof, so as to permit drainage of excess moisture from the casing I! through the bottom opening of casing 1 back into the water pan' 5 for re-use.

Secured on the armature shaft of motor 15 is a pulley 24 around which passes an endless belt 25, and this belt extends downwardly through the bottom opening of easing I and the top openingof pan 5 where it passes around another idler pulley 26 mounted within and near the bottom of water pan 5. The idler pulley 25 is preferably journaled on the lower end of an arm 21 deo pending from the frame II. It will thus be seen that the belt 25 is arranged in a vertical plane between one end of casing 1 and the adjacent side air inlet 2| of the fan blower. A

suitable shield 28 is placed over the inner end of motor 15 between the latter and the pulley 24, so as to protect said motor l5 from any water which may be splashed or thrown outwardly from the belt 25 as it is driven by said motor l5.

In operation, the motor I5 is suitably rendered operative so as to rotatably drive the impeller I8 I of the fan blower and to cause travel of the belt 25. The travelling belt 25 moves through the water in the bottom pan 5 so as to take up some of such water and elevate it into the upper open ended casing 1 in the path of air drawn into the adjacent open end ofcasing I and into the side air inlet 2| of the blower adjacent such belt 25. As the impeller l8 revolves rapidly, it causes afrapid flow of air into casing 1 through the 0 openends of the latter. When this takes place, the water from the belt 25 is drawn into the casing 11 of the fan blower where it mixes with the air and is thrown outward under centrifugal force against the wall of said blower casing l1, being 5 ultimately thrown downwardly against said casing l1 and the intake end of discharge conduit H at the bottom of the same as indicated by the arrows b. This causes the elimination of any spray being'discharged into and through the conduit ll, the excess moisture being separated from the humidified air and draining from the blower casing I 1 through opening 22 back into the water pan 5 for re-use. In practice, an apparatus constructed in accordance with the above has been found to operate with great ef iciency, and to lend itself to a variety of embodiments and Moreover, the apparatus is extremely compact and durable as well as relatively quiet in operation and'inexpensive to produce and operate. It v will be apparent that minor changes may be made in certain structural details illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim as new is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a 'water pan, a horizontalopen ended casing mounted upon said water pan and communicating with the latter, said open ended casing having a discharge opening for humidified air in the lowerintermediate portion thereof, a motor-operated centrifugal fan blower mounted and arranged within said open ended casing intermediate the ends of the latter and including ayolute casing pan into the horizontal open ended casing and in the path of air flowing to a side inlet of said blower through one open end of said open ended casing. v

2. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a water pan, a horizontal open ended casing mounted upon said water pan and communicating with the latter, said open ended casing having a dis-' charge opening for humidified air in the lower intermediate portion thereof, a motor-operated centrifugal fan blower mounted and arranged within said open ended casing intermediate the ends of the latter and including a volute casing and a rotary impeller, said volute casing having side air inlet openings coaxial with the open ends of said horizontal open ended casing,.said volute casing further having a lower tangential peripherial air outlet registered with the air outlet of said horizontal open ended casing, and a motor-driven belt for eievating'water from said water pan into the horizontal open ended casing and in the path of air flowing to a side inlet of said blower through one open end of said open v ended casing, the driving motor of said'fan blower rotating said impeller in a direction to throw the humidified air downwardly onto the bottom of the blower outlet, saidvblower casing having bottom drain openings to permit excess moisture to pass therefrom downwardly and back into said water pan.

3. An air conditioning apparatus comprisinga water pan, a horizontal open ended casingmounted upon said water pan and communicating with the latter, said open ended casing-having a discharge opening for humidified air in the lower' intermediate portion thereof, a motor-operated centrifugal fan blower mounted and arranged within said open ended casing intermediate the ends of the latter and including a volute casing and a rotary impeller, said volute casing having side air inlet openings coaxial with the open ends of said horizontal open ended casing, said volute casing further having a lower tangential peripherial air outlet registered with the. air outlet of said horizontal open ended casing, a motor-- driven beltdor elevating water from said water pan into the horizontal open ended casing and in the path of air flowing to a side inlet of said blower through one open end of said open. ended casing, the driving motor of said fan blmv'cr rotating said impeller in a direction to throw the humidified air downwardly onto the bottom of the blower outlet, said blower casing having bottom drain openings to permit excess moisture to 5 pass therefrom downwardly and back into said water pan, and a discharge conduit for humidified air extending from the air outlet of said horizontal open ended casing upwardly and for-.

15 lower intermediate portion thereof, a motor-operated centrifugal fan blower mounted and arranged within said open ended casing intermediate the ends of the latter and including a volute casing and a rotary impeller, said volute 20 casing having side air inlet openings coaxial with the open ends oi fsaid horizontal open ended casing, said volute casing further having a lower tangential peripheral air outlet registered with the air outlet of said horizontal open ended casing, a motor-driven belt for elevating water from said water pan into the horizontal open ended casing and in the path oi air flowing to a side inlet of said blower through one open end of said open ended casing, the driving motor of said fan blower rotating said impeller in a direction to throw the humidified air downwardly onto the bottom of the blower outlet, said blower casing having bottom drain openings to permit wardly and forwardly partially about said open ended casing, said discharge conduit gradualii increasing in width and decreasing in depth toward the discharge ends thereof.

RALPH n. MA'I'I'ESONQ WILLIAMB. moms. 

